Homeward Bound: One Last Incredible Journey
by Marie King
Summary: Chance, Delilah Sassy and Shadow are all living together ten years after their adventure in San Francisco.    The foursome are going to Florida to for a family vacation Shadow's odd feeling concerns his friends     Will the pets get lost again?
1. Prologue

Hi my name is Chance but of course you probably already know that.

I've been with my family now for ten years.

My boy Jamie is in his last year of school.

Sassy's human Hope married and moved out of state a year ago.

Peter Shadow's best friend got married six years ago and left the state too.

Ever since then Shadow has become depressed but I of course have been trying my hardest to keep his spirits up.

Delilah and I are still together.

We had four pups Daisy, Darla, Ralph, and Rance, they are all grown up now and have been adopted by some real good people here in the neighborhood.

Laura, Bob ,Jamie Sassy, Shadow, Delilah and I are all set to go on vacation soon to Florida.

Given our track record with vacations Shadow is on high alert, but why should he be worried?

I mean I've raised four pups, and Delilah has gotten me pretty much mellowed out.

He shouldn't be worried about me.

If anything I'm worried about him.


	2. Funny Feeling

Sassy made her way from the kitchen to Hope's bedroom.

Her tail bristled in sadness.

_I can't believe it's been a year oh Hope I miss you. _She thought sadly.

Sassy easily jumped from her sitting position on the hard wooden bedroom floor to the bed.

She closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.

Within a hour Sassy heard the familiar sounds of her long time housemate Chance.

His voice bellowed into the room even through Sassy had shut the door with her right back foot.

"Come on Jamie Boy come get me I'm not that old I know you can catch me!"

Sassy buried herself beneath the soft blankets of the bed trying in vain to block out the boisterous noise of Chance.

Twenty minutes later she heard no more shouting or noise from Chance or anyone and soon was sleeping soundly again.

However just as she was getting into a deep sleep she heard someone entering Hope's room.

Sassy stirred her claws immediately out certain it was Chance and that he wanted to cause trouble.

She slipped out form underneath the blankets and shouted annoyed "Can't you let me get some beauty sleep for once, Chance!"

Sassy was surprised however when she saw not Chance but Shadow.

He was laying down at the foot of the bed his head on his paws staring at her with an inquisitive glean in his eyes.

Shadow brought his head up and replied politely "Good afternoon, Sassy."

Sassy retracted her claws and took a step back she was ashamed and embarrassed.

She said mortified "Shadow, I'm sorry I thought you were Chance, he was outside the door earlier and I thought you were him he usually comes into Hope's room to irritate me."

Shadow scratched behind his right hear with his right back leg for a few seconds.

He shook his head back and forth.

Finally after a few moments he replied warmly "Well you can relax like I said it's only me, how are you this fine afternoon?"

Sassy sat down on the pillow at the front of the bed curling her paws beneath her.

She said softly "Okay I guess I still miss Hope that's why I was in here I feel so much closer to her in here."

Shadow replied agreeably "I know how you feel, I go to Peter's old room on occasion I still miss him everyday, that's why I'm very excited for this trip, I can't wait to see him and Thomas."

Thomas was Peter's four-year-old son.

The family was going to go to Florida to meet up with Peter and Hope.

It would be the first trip the four pets had since their San Francisco disaster nearly ten years earlier.

Sassy started to lick her left paw she said happily "I can't wait to see Hope!"

Shadow replied warily "Sassy I have been having this strange funny feeling for a while now."

Sassy stopped licking her paw.

She looked at Shadow and asked concernedly "What's wrong Shadow?"

Shadow stood up and stretched his body was not fat but extremely lean the years had treated him well.

Sassy could see Shadow's age in him, his fur was all but gray it was a fading hue of gold.

His eyesight wasn't the best either and sometimes he forgot things.

Still he was a very wise and warm dog the same one he had been all years that she had known him.

Shadow had finished stretching and replied worriedly "I'm not sure yet Sassy it's probably nothing just a old dog's paranoia don't worry."

Sassy quipped sarcastically "Well whatever is going to go wrong I bet you anything Chance is going to cause it."

Shadow said dismissively "Oh Sassy please Chance has never caused any real problems."

Sassy replied livid "It was _his_ fault we got lost last time, if we didn't follow him we wouldn't have gotten separated form Hope and Peter!"

Shadow said sagely "Don't you remember that Chance also saved our lives, if he hadn't been trailing us as we were leaving the city Ashcan and his sidekick would of killed us."

She replied quietly "Yeah I know but he can still be dumb sometimes."

Shadow said warmly "True but he can but he has also proven to be a very loyal friend."

Chance followed by Delilah entered the bedroom.

He replied jovially "Now did I hear my name being thrown around here?"

Sassy shook her head and replied annoyed "Honestly Chance can't you knock, Shadow and I were having a discussion."

Chance took Sassy's brush off in stride.

He looked at Shadow and asked softly "Hey Old Timer you all right?"

Shadow jumped off the foot of the bed he turned to Chance Sassy, and Delilah.

He looked all of them in the eye.

Shadow took a breath then replied comfortingly "Everyone please I'm fine I just had that same feeling I got the first time Peter left, but really I'm all right now, I'm going out into the backyard and taking a nap."

With that Shadow turned around and walked out the door.

Delilah replied wistfully "You're right Chance something's up, Shadow seems really distracted."

Sassy's tail bristled again this time she was more annoyed than ever.

She said agitated "Honestly you two if Shadow says he's all right then I believe him you'll only upset him more if you read too much into what he says."

Chance quipped jokingly "Oh go get stuck in a tree!"

Sassy sighed and replied coolly "At least _I_ would be able to get down if I got stuck if you were stuck in a tree it would probably break!"

With that she gracefully vaulted off of the bed and left.

When Sassy had left Chance turned to Delilah and asked worriedly "Delilah, do you think I'm bad luck?"

Delilah licked Chance's face and replied softly "Of course I don't sweetie, but I do think you are right about Shadow something is defiantly wrong."

Chance licked Delilah's face and said warmly "We need to keep a watch on the old boy just in case okay?"

Delilah nuzzled Chance's face.

She then looked at him lovingly and nuzzled Chance's face once again.

Delilah then said keenly "Right, race you to the backyard!"

Chance said eagerly "Oh you're on!"

As soon as he had finished speaking Delilah had dashed out of the room.

She yelled tauntingly "Come and get me slow poke!"

Chance chased after her and replied happily "Oh you bet!"

_**What could Shadow's "feeling" mean for our favorite four pets? Will they get lost again? Should I continue? Please read review, and let me know!**_


End file.
